Lullabye
by Reverie-sama
Summary: A song fic based on Billy Joel's "Lullabye." Tooya's thoughts as he and Aya ponder the future.


Disclaimer: I don't own Billy Joel's "Lull-a-bye" nor the Yuu Watase's Ayashi no Ceres characters as much as I wish I did. 

"Lull-a-bye"

By: Reverie, the Dream Angel

_IGoodnight my Angel _

_time to close your eyes_

_and save these questions_

_for another day. I_

"Tooya?" came the muffled question from the tired angel lying cradled against his chest. She shifted onto one of her scraped elbows slowly and stared at him with those deep blue eyes like the sea he used to swim in before he met her. Her rounding belly also inhibited her movements. 

While she complained about her added clumsiness and how she looked fat, he found her condition to be infinitely endearing. He punctuated that thought with a soft smile as his eyes searched her face trying to remember what she had asked. 

            She seemed to read his near-expressionless face and so asked her question once more, "What do you think we should name the baby?"

            Her hand circled over her stomach as she continued to look down at his face.

            His hand followed suit and covered hers. "Wakaranai," he replied. Their hands continued to run over her belly careful to avoid the still-tender wound that had nearly killed her. She still flinched every time the baby kicked, even though it had been a few months since that time on the ship when everything had changed. 

            "What do you think we should name the baby, Aya?" His hand strayed from hers to play with her hair, to touch her face. 

            She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, letting a little sigh of contentment escape her lips. 

            "I was thinking that if the baby were a boy we should name him Aki. And if the baby were a girl Chidori." 

            He smiled at this.

            "What's so funny?" She sensed his amusement.

            "It doesn't sound like you needed my opinion at all." He watched as her face turned bright red, and he remembered again all the reasons why he loved her. Her tenacious character, her determination, her devotion, her compassion, the way her emotions played so prettily over her face for him to read like a book were only some of the reasons. 

            But despite the light-hearted intention of the comment, tears formed in her eyes and she bit her bottom lip. He had forgotten how emotional she had become because of the little treasure she carried. Quickly, he sought to soothe her by pulling her close and pressing chaste little kisses to her forehead, nose, eyelids, and cheeks. A tiny apology was enclosed in each kiss.

            "I'm sorry." Kiss. "I'm sorry." Kiss. "I didn't mean it." And slowly her tears died down as did her soft whimpers and sniffles.  "Of course I want to help name the baby, but you have already done better than I ever could."

            She pushed against his chest to look back into his eyes, and suddenly she lost her balance. Tooya reacted and wrapped his arms tightly around her. He had forgotten that she was so close to the edge of the bed. 

            She yelped in pain as he crushed her to his chest, his arm unwittingly finding her still sensitive wound.

            Silence settled over the pair. Her breathing began to slow as the adrenaline died down. Tooya still clung to her afraid she would fall again. 

            "Dajoubu ka, Aya?" He whispered into her hair.

            "Dajoubu. Dajoubu." She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck pulling him even closer. "Arigato."

            Her tone seemed darker than it had been before. "What's wrong?"

            Then he heard her sniffle again. He felt her tears splash warmly against his neck.

            "Tooya?" she asked, her voice wavering with sadness, " what will I do when you aren't here to save me anymore? How will I be able to protect our baby? How will I…I…" And she burst into tears.

II think I know what 

_you've been asking me_

_I think you know what_

_I've been trying to sayI_

            He stroked her hair, closing his eyes against his own tears as Aya clung to him sobbing and shaking.

            It had been a question that they had become deft at avoiding. One day soon he would be gone. They didn't know how soon to expect it. This was the price for them to be together, a choice he had made in an instant to save her life only to eventually sacrifice his own. 

            Tooya was never very good with words. He was not very eloquent and certainly not loquacious. But for some reason he knew exactly what to say to her now. 

            He kissed her firmly on the lips. 

            What he couldn't put into words he showed her. His desperate desire to stay with her forever, to be there to help raise their child, to grow old with her all of it was there as he parted her lips to taste her. He tangled his hands in her hair, holding her face to his. 

Aya was startled but soon fell into responding under his ministrations. Tears still streamed from her eyes.

II promised I would 

_never leave you_

_And you should always know_

_Wherever you may go_

_No matter where you are_

_I never will be far away. I_

            When he finally broke the kiss he pulled her tightly to him wrapping his strong arms around her waist and shoulders. 

            "I will never leave you. I'll be with you and Aki always." He squeezed her tighter.

            She was quiet for a while except for the occasional sob. "Do you promise?"

            "I promise. No matter what I will take care of you both." She squeezed him back. 

            "Good. Now I don't have to try and hate you." Smile. 

            And just like that the storm passed, for now. He didn't care just as long as Aya was happy again. 

            She pushed him onto his back and straddled his hips. Her eyes were still red and puffy from crying but merriment had crept back into them. 

            "Who said you get to decide that the baby is a boy? Hmm?" A bewitching smile brightened her features. She was irresistible. 

            "Would you like me to show you again?" He allowed his voice to sink into that sultry intimate tone that made her shiver. She shivered.

            He tugged on her shirt and gently pulled her down for a kiss. He made sure to kiss away the residue of her tears. She moaned into him as his tongue mingled with hers.

            Kami-sama, how I love her. 

IGoodnight, My Angel 

_now its time to sleep_

_And still so many things_

_I want to say_

_Remember all the songs_

_you sang for me_

_When we went sailing_

_on an emerald bay.I _

            Tooya idly let his hand slide up and down from her shoulder to her elbow. She had long since fallen asleep. Who could blame her with all the emotions she went through in just a few short hours? Not to mention her physical exhaustion after he had "reminded" her how their baby came to be. He didn't mind being awake at all. He loved watching her sleep. 

            Currently, she was sprawled protectively over him, one leg draped over his thigh while her arm wrapped over his chest. Her head was nestled in the crook of his neck. She didn't seem to want to let him go not even in sleep. 

            He listened to her breathing softly and regularly against his collarbone and it comforted him like the waves crashing against the shore. 

            His tired mind soon conjured up images of his island home where he had first met Aya when she was an innocent little girl. 

            It never ceased to amaze him how much he could recall about that day. He had been sitting in a sort of a daze looking out at the sea. Some gulls had lost their feathers and they reflect the sun to blinding proportions. 

            In the midst of his blindness he could hear and smell the sea, the discordant cry of the gulls, but suddenly there was another song among them. The song was indistinct but the voice was cheerful and had a delightfully warm quality to it more so than anything he had heard before.

            That's when she appeared. At first she was a shadow against the sun offering her hand to him. He couldn't understand what she was or what she was doing. His eyes adjusted and he could see. She was small with golden pigtails and sea blue eyes that seem to offer him something. He didn't know exactly what. 

            She raised her hand further and spoke. He couldn't understand very well what she said but he stared at her cupped wherein lay a white shell. 

            Not sure of what to do, he decided to take it. He didn't know why but he knew that to make this girl sad would break his heart. 

            As soon as he touched her hand he felt a connection with her. Something he had never felt before. His hand lingered, not wanting to lose this feeling, but at last, he took the shell into his own hand. She smiled and giggled at him. All he could do was stare in wonder at her. How he hoped she wouldn't disappear. He didn't want to be alone.

            Her laugh was musical and it still reverberated through his mind.

            "Aya!" rang through the air and the girl turned her head. 

            "Aya!" it called again, taking her away from him this time. He could do nothing but stare after her. 

            He knew after that day he belonged to that little girl who had given him a gift of her smile and a tiny seashell. 

IAnd like a boat 

_out on the ocean_

_I'm rocking you to sleep_

_The water's dark_

_And deep inside this ancient heart_

_You'll always be a part of me.I_

Aya shifted snuggling closer to him. He smiled and was very grateful for the woman she had grown into. He wound his arms over her moonlit back and traced light patterns with his fingertips.

            Quietly she cooed his name. He could feel her smile as she continued to sleep. Slowly he placed a delicate kiss on her temple. She mumbled something incoherent before settling back into deep sleep. 

            He stared out their bedroom window. The night swirled outside and reminded him of the times ahead. Everything was precarious and unsure, dark with only the tiniest bits of illumination.

            He knew that Yuuhi would be a good husband to his Aya and a loving father to his child. Still, it hurt that he would not be there himself to look after them. He wanted more memories with Aya and memories of a family. In more ways than one he was jealous of Yuuhi. 

But then he remembered that he and Aya shared things that she could never with Yuuhi. They were bound together literally and emotionally. She was his tennyo and he her life. Nothing could change that. Not even if Yuuhi and Aya were married for a thousand years. He had been a part of her well before she was even born and would continue to be.

It is foolish to be jealous. I must not waste a single day that I have with her. And if I am lucky enough to see our baby born I must spend every moment I have with them both.  I should be happy with what I am given. 

She gurgled in her sleep again, drawing him away from his thoughts. 

It is more than I could have wished for just to be here holding you and watching you dream. 

"I love you, Aya. Goodnight, my Angel," he whispered. And finally, he relinquished himself to sleep.

IGoodnight, My Angel

Now it's time to dream

And dream how wonderful

your life will be

Someday your child may cry

And if you sing this lull-a-bye

Then in your heart there will always

be a part of me.I

            It was a beautiful sunny day. The daylight spilled in through the window. A beautiful young woman sat basking in the light rocking her baby. She hummed as she rocked back and forth slowly. 

            Her voice was still just as sweet and beautiful as when he first heard her sing on the beach all those years ago. She hummed the same song now. The song didn't have any set words but that didn't matter. It was the melody that was soothing and lulling. 

Peaceful was the word that came to mind as he watched them from afar. 

He watched Yuuhi come in and kiss Aya on the top of her head. He watched him stare down at his wife as she continued to rock little Aki.

"What are you thinking?" She whispered, still rocking her son to sleep. 

He thought a moment before he answered, "How much I wish Tooya could be here instead of me."

Aya lifted her head and stared up into his eyes. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her beautiful child-like eyes. "But he is here Yuuhi. He is with us all the time. He promised me once and I know that he is keeping his word. Somehow."

She lowered her head once more and looked out the window towards the ocean. Her eyes slowly became more serious and melancholy.

Then little baby Aki woke up. He immediately wailed to be fed. Aya couldn't help but smile down at her son. It was if he could sense when she needed to be cheered up. Or perhaps someone else was watching out for her too. 

"I love you, too, Tooya," she smiled and began to feed her hungry baby boy. And she began to sing a familiar song that soothed all present.

ISomeday we'll all be gone

But Lull-a-byes go on and on

They never die

That's how you and I will be.I


End file.
